PESHAWAR, Jan 11: Federal Minister for Water and Power Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has said the proposed composite dialogue between India and Pakistan will help bring stability in the region.

Speaking at a workers' convention at his native village Sherpao near Charsadda on Sunday, he said Musharraf-Vajpayee meeting on the sidelines of Saarc summit would prove a milestone in the bilateral relations as both leaders had exhibited wisdom and political wit to address all outstanding issues including the core dispute of Kashmir.

The composite dialogue scheduled for next month would succeed in bringing peace and harmony in South Asia, he expressed the hope.

Referring to government-MMA bargain on the Legal Framework Order and the constitutional package, the minister said the bargain would augur well for the stability of democratic norms and the supremacy of parliament.

The agreement was not a victory or defeat of either side, he said adding that it was in fact the victory of democracy and parliament. But Mr Sherpao clarified that this pact should not be construed as an alliance between the government and the Muttahida Majli-i-Amal (MMA).

It was the public pressure which had forced the MMA to give up its political stubbornness and confrontational stand so that the government could effectively concentrate on the welfare of the masses, he explained to the gathering. The federal minister decried the one-year performance of the NWFP government, saying that the MMA-led government had miserably failed to solve the basic problems of the people.

The minister said the PPP-Sherpao would shortly bring out a white paper against the dismal performance of the MMA government. Mr Sherpao said his party was committed to the cause of democracy in the country, which was clearly reflected in the recent intra-party elections at the union council level in Charsadda district. He appreciated the role of party workers in what he said the restoration of democracy and described them as the backbone of the party.

Speaking about the merger of PPP factions under one banner, he expressed satisfaction over negotiations with the PPP-Patriots and expressed the hope that the merger would make them a strong political force.